STOKE A.R. Richards Travel Plus National League meeting against Coventry Storm at Loomer Road on Saturday was abandoned after ten heats with the Potters trailing 38-22 with the result standing and Storm taking all four points.

Rain prior to the start of the meeting had left track condition difficult to start with and rain during heat nine and ten left the track almost impossible to ride with both captains agreeing that track conditions had become unraceable leaving the referee with no option but to abandon the meeting.

The Potters got off to the worst possible start as Ben Wilson failed to beat the two minute time allowance resulting in him going off 15metres. Wilson managed to get past partner Shaun Tedham but then fell with Storm pairing Dan Greenwood and Conor Dwyer well ahead and the race being awarded with the exclusion of Wilson for a Storm 5-1. Storm extended their lead in heat three as former Potter Ryan Terry-Daley took the chequered flag ahead of Tony Atkin with Martin Knuckey third for a 4-2 heat advantage.

A couple of drawn heats saw the Potters steady things, but Coventry gained a 5-1 from guest Danny Ayres and Jamie Halder over Joe Lawlor who’d replaced Wilson who had failed to beat the two minute time allowance leaving the Potters trailing 13-23 after six heats.

The Potters were further hit by the news that number one Ben Wilson had been withdrawn from the meeting with a couple of broken fingers on his clutch hand.

A futher 4-2 in heat eight for Storm from Dwyer and Callum Walker over Tedham and then a 5-1 in heat ten from Martin Knuckey and Terry-Daley left the Potters trailing 38-22 and with the rain getting heavier the meeting was brought to a halt.

Potters boss Malcolm Vasey said “I am extremely disappointed with the result. We had a heavy shower not long before the meeting which made the track very tricky and the Coventry riders adapted better to the conditions than we did. The last two races were done in rain which was getting heavier by the minute and left track conditions to wet in order to carry on.

STOKE 22: Tony Atkin 8, Joe Lawlor 6, Shaun Tedham 4, Josh Bailey 3+1, Ryan MacDonald 1+1, Ben Wilson 0, Chris Widman 0.
COVENTRY 38: Ryan Terry-Daley 8+1, Danny Ayres 8, Conor Dwyer 7+1, Jamie Halder 5+2, Dan Greenwood 4+1, Martin Knuckey 4, Callum Walker 2+1.
Abandoned after Heat 10 (track conditions) – Result stands